ABSTRACT
Somatic stem cells are the most widely used stem cells in regenerative medicine. They have promising therapeutic potential and are safe for use in translational research and many clinical applications. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been widely used in regenerative medicine and related research for several decades (Pittenger et al. 1999) but have signifi cant disadvantages, such as the stem cell yield is usually low, the isolation procedures are invasive, painful and bleeding is common in donors and recipients. Adipose tissue, especially white adipose tissue, has recently been identifi ed as an alternative source of adult stem cells; there is a large reservoir of donor tissue, which is also readily accessible, and adipose resident stem cells can differentiate into multiple mesenchymal lineages, including BMSCs (Zuk et al. 2001).
